%0 Journal Article %J Technology Innovation Management Review %D 2013 %T Niche Formation in the Mashup Ecosystem %A Michael Weiss %A Solange Sari %A Nadia Noori %K ecosystems %K evolution %K growth %K keystones %K mashups %K niche formation %K recombinant innovation %K speciation %X Mashups enable end-users to "mix and match" data and services available on the web to create applications. Their creation is supported by a complex ecosystem of i) data providers who offer open APIs to users, ii) users who combine APIs into mashups, and iii) platforms, such as the ProgrammableWeb or Mashape, that facilitate the construction and publication of mashups. In this article, we argue that the evolution of the mashup ecosystem can be explained in terms of ecosystem niches anchored around hub or keystone APIs. The members of a niche are focused on an area of specialization (e.g., mapping applications) and contribute their knowledge to the value proposition of the ecosystem as a whole. To demonstrate the formation of niches in the mashup ecosystem, we model groups of related mashups as species, and we reconstruct the evolution of mashup species through phylogenetic analysis. %B Technology Innovation Management Review %I Talent First Network %C Ottawa %V 3 %P 13-17 %8 05/2013 %G eng %U http://timreview.ca/article/683 %N 5 %1 Carleton University Michael Weiss holds a faculty appointment in the Department of Systems and Computer Engineering at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and is a member of the Technology Innovation Management program. His research interests include open source, ecosystems, mashups, patterns, and social network analysis. Michael has published on the evolution of open source business, mashups, platforms, and technology entrepreneurship. %2 Carleton University Solange Sari is a developer/programmer analyst who provides consulting services to both private and public organizations. Her interests includes the design, development, and assessment of web services following standards on usability, accessibility, and interoperability. She holds Master’s degrees in Technology Innovation Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and in Industrial Engineering from the Federal University of Santa Catarina in Florianópolis, Brazil. %3 Carleton University Nadia Noori holds an MASc degree in Technology Innovation Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. Her research interests includes open source platforms, governance models and collaboration frameworks, and product architecture and design. %R http://doi.org/10.22215/timreview/683